This project is led by  AARTPLACE in collaboration with SUMO Project and Ryan Rice as the Indigenous Advisor .

The Public Art Plan for the City of New Westminster (In Progress) aims to provide a clear vision and become a framework of reference, for the creation of aesthetic and thematic guidelines, processes, management, communications and other pertinent aspects of the Public Art Program for the next 10 years.

The City of New Westminster is part of a larger system known as Greater Vancouver Area or Metro Vancouver, that includes 21 municipalities.

These contemporary borders overlap with ancestral ones, and this relationship dates back to 1846 when the border between the U.S.A and Canada was established in without consulting the indigenous people in the area. As a consequence, after the agreement, they woke up in two different countries. Currently, the city of New Westminster is located in the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Central Coast Salish people.

For these reasons and acknowledging the symbolic significance of public art, the plan is expected to outline opportunities for artists, as well as potential partnerships to share the City’s history, prioritizing on reconciliation.

As the public realm is the essential place of exchange, Public Art, plays an essential role in mediating these difficult issues. By promoting cultural participation, Public Art, will help the community to bond and re-connect, providing opportunities for dialogue, engagement, and learning, fostering a sense of belonging and a sense of place.

Through the development of the new Public Art Plan, we will celebrate the City of New Westminster’s history and vision for a Through the development of the new Public Art Plan  we will celebrate the City of New Westminster’s history and vision for a better future and a new form of togetherness, that includes indigenous people truly and at large, through art. The masterplan will spark connection and meaning in its spaces to  strengthen its cultural identity while fostering a sense of local pride,   a sense of belonging and a sense of place.
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